- Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Amsterdam Direct Enrollment - Conservatorium van Amsterdam
$6+ Million in Scholarships & Aid
Academics
Our mission is simple: to provide you with the best study abroad program possible—which includes the highest quality academic and cultural experiences. That is why we partnered with the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.
Create your own academic experience by selecting from the following program components:
- Music Courses at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (required, 15 credits)
- IES Abroad-taught Dutch language course (optional, 2 credits)
Courses
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CU/DU 101 - Dutch Language in Daily Life | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CU/DU 101 - Dutch Language in Daily Life | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
In close consultation with our staff, you establish a personalized, full-time (15-credit) course of study that includes applied and theoretical aspects of music study with electives and optional courses. The mandatory practical component of the curriculum is a combination of one-on-one and small-group instruction.
Study includes highly-individualized lessons with a tutor and participation in an extensive chamber music and ensemble program, and culminates in final performances. Theoretical components aim at developing musical imagination and perception.
CvA offers courses within the departments of Classical and Jazz:
- Brass Instruments
- Historical Instruments (Classical only)
- Improvisation (Jazz only)
- Percussion
- Piano and Other Keyboard Instruments
- String Instruments
- Voice
- Woodwind Instruments
Elective Courses
The elective component includes additional performance and theory options. Within both the Classical and Jazz departments, elective courses are available in:
- Analysis
- Arranging
- Chamber Music
- Composition
- Conducting
- Continuo Playing and Directing Ensembles
- Counterpoint
- Drama
- Ear Training
- Harmonic Analysis of the Piano
- Harmony
- Music and Social History
- Orchestra or Ensemble Projects
Optional IES Abroad Course
This course is taught by IES Abroad faculty and is offered both fall and spring semesters.
DU 101 Dutch language and culture course at the IES Abroad Center
Partner Institution(s)
Conservatorium van Amsterdam
www.ahk.nl/en/conservatorium
The Conservatorium van Amsterdam takes full advantage of Amsterdam’s established reputation in music to offer outstanding instruction in classical and jazz music performance, theory, and composition. The Conservatorium is dedicated to upholding superior standards of teaching, performing, and creating music through a highly-individualized course of study. It aims to train you to become a versatile musician at the highest level of professional musicianship. If you wish to study at the CvA, you should be a strong Performance, Composition, or Theory major with the motivation and intention to become a professional musician, a music scholar, or a composer.
A member of the Amsterdam School of the Arts, the CvA was originally established as the Amsterdam Conservatorium in 1884. The vast majority of courses at the CvA are taught in English.
Location
Designed by Frits van Dongen and opened in 2008, the CvA’s building includes recital halls, classrooms, practice rooms, and offices. The facility is located in the center of Amsterdam, across the street from the Muziekgebouw, the purpose-built home of contemporary music and jazz in Amsterdam.
Advising & Support
Even though you’re directly enrolling in one of our partner institutions, we’re here for you whenever you need us.
Advising
Before you leave home, we offer you predeparture advising that’s specific to your needs. Our goal is to provide support and guidance throughout your application and enrollment process.
But our advising services don’t stop there. While you’re in Amsterdam, our staff is available to help you transition into your new home. Creating a plan of study at a school abroad can be confusing and overwhelming. When you arrive on-site, we are available to answer your questions while you work with your home and host schools to figure out what courses you need to complete while in the Netherlands.
Support
The support services we offer IES Abroad direct enrollment students are specifically designed to help you achieve your study abroad goals as effectively and smoothly as possible. We know studying abroad is an adventure, and, at times, you may need help or just someone to talk to—that’s why our staff is there for you.
Field Trips & Events
Even though your adventure starts in Amsterdam, our field trips take you beyond the city to discover the culture and traditions of your host country. You share a portion of the cost with IES Abroad. Here are a few possible destinations:
Antwerp, Belgium
2 Days| Fall & Spring
Enjoy a weekend away in Netherland’s neighboring country, Belgium! Come sample the local cuisine, and learn a bit more about what makes Belgium special.
National Park Hoge Veluwe & Kröller-Müller Museum
2 Days | Fall
Visit the largest privately managed conservation area in the Netherlands - home to several endangered species, as well as visit the park's museum. Also visit the Open Air Museum, that allows you to see the historical past of Dutch life.
Maastricht
2 Days | Spring
Explore this university city with its beautiful medieval architecture and lively arts and culture. Visit the famous labyrinth caves of Limburg, and take a walk in the spectacular hilly countryside.
Zaanse Schans
1 Day | Fall & Spring
Enjoy a cycling trip from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans, a quintessential Dutch town, famous for its windmills.
IES Abroad field trip destinations, activities, and lengths of stay may vary according to term and availability.
Daily Life
Part of making you feel at home in Amsterdam is doing our best to help you feel safe and cared for. Whether it is an orientation program that makes you feel prepared, your housing that is well-located and comfortable, or the field trips that take you to places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services.
Orientation
The program begins with an orientation that introduces you to the IES Abroad Amsterdam staff, your fellow students, and the city of Amsterdam.
Our Comprehensive Orientation & Re-Entry Experience (CORE™) begins right when you arrive and continues through the semester with activities focusing on academic and cultural adjustment. Detailed information about housing, academics, public transportation, culture, health and safety, and other important topics are also covered.
Following IES Abroad orientation, you participate in an orientation at the CvA to get to know the staff and facilities.
Local field trips and activities are also arranged, as well as an overnight orientation trip, where you’ll have the opportunity to further sample elements of Dutch culture and get to know the other students.
Housing
We want to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding which landmarks to see first or discovering the best café—not finding a place to live where you feel comfortable. We do our best to locate housing that is reflective of how the local students are living. Our goal is that when you leave Amsterdam, it will feel like home.
Deluxe Residence Hall - You will live in a single room with a private bathroom. You share a kitchen with other students on your floor. The building features a 24-hour reception and a gym.
Extracurricular Activities & Cultural Events
Redefine the way you live and learn in Amsterdam through cultural events, such as:
- Seeing the windmills in the Zaanse Schans
- Visiting a cheese market in Alkmaar, followed by canoeing on the Alkmaar canals
- Touring the Keukenhof tulip garden (spring only)
- Visiting Hoge Veluwe National Park
- Bicycling to Volendam and Marken
- Exploring the medieval castle Muiderslot and the Isle of Pampus
Get to Know Your New City
Cycle Everywhere
Rent or buy a cheap bike and get around Amsterdam the way the Dutch do!
Enjoy Traditional Dutch Dishes
From excellent coffee and sweet stroopwafels and poffertjes (tasty little pancakes), to more unusual fare like thick fries with Dutch-Indonesian peanut sauce or stamppot (a hearty dish of potatoes, onions, kale, root vegetables, and sausage), eating in Amsterdam is a real treat.
Shop the Amsterdam Street Markets
Stock up on fresh produce, cheese, and other food, as well as souvenirs and gifts at the Albert Cuypmarkt. Or dig for the perfect find at the I-J Hallen vintage market.
Appreciate Art
Amsterdam is home to so many art museums, from the “big ones,” like the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum to lesser known gems like the Museum Willet-Hothuysen and the Foam Photography Museum.
Swing Out Over Amsterdam
For a thrill, try riding the swings found on the observation deck on the new A’DAM Tower. Or just marvel at the beautiful 360° views of the city.
Program Cost
Consider these prices as a starting point. We encourage you to contact your study abroad office to determine the actual cost to you when factoring in financial aid, scholarships, your home school policies, and other factors.
Scholarships & Aid
Use our budget worksheet to calculate your costs
$6+ Million in Scholarships & Aid
Our Center
The IES Abroad Amsterdam Center is housed in the Oranje-Nassau Kazerne, former military barracks that has since been turned into offices and apartments, and located across from the famous Artis Zoo. Features include: a small library, classroom space, staff offices, WiFi access, and space for students to meet and study. Center office hours are Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm (unless otherwise specified).
Our Staff
Chantal Omloo
Center Director
Chantal Omloo earned an M.A. in the History of International Relations at the University of Utrecht and an MSc in Development Studies at the School for Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. Her academic focus was centered on economic development in Sub Saharan Africa and she has published a number of articles in this field.
Prior to joining IES Abroad in 2001, Chantal worked for Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), an NGO based in the United Kingdom. Chantal managed customized programs for IES Abroad out of the London Center before moving back to her native Netherlands to become our Amsterdam Center Director.
IES Abroad Staff
IES Abroad Staff
Flor Macias Delgado
Student and Diversity Affairs Specialist
Anabelle Goulette
Student Affairs and Housing Manager
Diana Kaekebeke
Academic Programs Manager
Nikki Wester
Academic & Customized Programs Coordinator
Jenn Docto
Academic Programs Coordinator
Marie Cambridge
Center Administrator
Faculty
Depending on your program, you will be taught by faculty from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit, Universiteit van Amsterdam, or the IES Abroad Amsterdam Center.
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